Vladimir Antonov

Psychophysical Exercises

Psychophysical exercises are called so because their psychic component is combined with simultaneously performing physical movements, with the latter contributing to the mastering of the former. The idea of development of such exercises was laid down in the beginning of 20-th century by Peter Dânov; their development was continued by Omraam Mikhael Aivanhov and then by us.

The first exercise of this series is called Awakening. We awaken from a long sleep of self-isolation from harmony, beauty, and love of the world. (While standing, we raise the hands up and stretch ourselves as if after sleep). We let all the purity, light, and the vitality from outside into us. Feel a waterfall of astonishingly pure, transparent, subtle feelings and morning freshness flowing from above. We fill ourselves with this morning freshness, with these fresh waves, overfilling ourselves with them! (Hands move down to the shoulders, assisting this process, then move up again; we repeat these movements several times). We try to reach as high and subtle an emotional state as possible.

The second exercise is called Giving Away. We hold the hands against the chest and then make a wide gesture moving them forward and apart: what we received we must give away to other people — our level of spiritual advancement is measured by our ability to give. Also, in order to fill a vessel with fresh water, we need empty it first. Those who do not empty themselves by giving away what they have do not get renewed, do not grow. We repeat this exercise again and again, pouring out, giving away all the good that we have accumulated — generously, without the desire to receive a reward. Send subtlest and intense waves of streaming fresh and pure love far forward. Feel how the chest gets inflated by the energy of love that comes swelling from behind. A flower, exhaling a tender fragrance, starts to blossom out in the middle of the chest. Send these subtle vibrations forward. This is the fragrance of love itself!

The third exercise is Reconciliation. We raise the right hand above the head and concentrate on the palm and the space that immediately surrounds it. Then we slowly bring the hand down drawing with it a sinusoid with a half-period of about thirty centimeters. The edge of the palm should be facing the direction of the hand’s movement. While doing this, let us try to feel the space, in which the hand moves, as some energy field to which we assign a new characteristic each time: first peace, then harmony, and then calm. We may “extend” the hand. (We may imagine various ways of performing dancing movements: jerky and quick versus gentle, smooth, and elegant. Each of these ways disposes both the performer and the audience to corresponding emotional states). And this simple but powerful gesture, which symbolizes harmony, will be helping everyone in every situation as he or she masters this exercise (one should feel it deeply through!), even if performed without being accompanied with movements of the body.

The fourth exercise is called Climbing Up. We raise the hands up with the palms facing sideward and then bring them down laterally, making sweeps. Repeat this movement several times, with each sweep we hatch out of another coarse envelope, as it were, and become lighter, purer; we rise to the source of the light above us — to the sun… It becomes very close to us; a few more swings and we reach it… Flow into space of the purest and subtlest light, and enjoy being in it… Then slowly get down to the earth feeling the sun in the chest. Stand on the ground and shine at people and all other living beings with sunlight coming from the chest!

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These exercises can be performed exactly as they are described here and can bring much benefit, including the purification of the bioenergy structures of the body and getting rid of diseases.

We can add a religious component to these exercises, and then very soon they will help us to understand that the Light which we work with in these exercises is the Light of the Holy Spirit. All worthy students begin to perceive Him in the process of their ethical and bioenergetic purification. Thus we cognize God in one of His Manifestations — and then He becomes our constant Companion and Living Teacher for our whole life.

For some people, these elementary exercises can become a starting point for deep and serious religious life.

This is just the basis for the beginning. In practical classes, one can use different modifications of these methods — depending on the individual qualities of the children and instructors.